


Ghost of You

by its_just_lori



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack, Angst, Casualty, Comfort, Death, F/M, Identity Reveal, Lots of Angst, Self-Blame, This is really sad actually, Tragedy, akuma gone wrong, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:56:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_just_lori/pseuds/its_just_lori
Summary: It finally happened.The akuma attacked at the wrong time. They weren't prepared. For the first time, there was a casualty. Someone was killed. Marinette doesn't care that her identity was exposed to the world; she can't stop blaming herself for what happened. If only she'd been ready... if only she'd done more...There's nothing for Adrien to say. There's nothing he can do other than stay by her side and help her through this pain.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 29
Kudos: 127





	Ghost of You

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this in order to give myself a break from the depressing mood going on in my longfic but this turned out to be even more depressing so I'm just rolling with it.  
> Enjoy ;)

Adrien stared up at the outside of Francois Dupont. He couldn’t help the slight pang in his chest at the sight of his school under the dark and cloudy sky. So much had happened since he was last here. Just over a week ago, he walked through those doors without a care in the world. He was content as he passed chattering crowds of students on his way to his homeroom, occasionally offering a passerby a warm smile.

It was a graveyard now. The few students standing in the entrance hall stood in silence, heads down, not a trace of their previous happiness anywhere to be seen. Adrien didn’t want to see what his homeroom looked like, but he didn’t have a choice. 

He slowly walked into the classroom and was met with a dozen somber faces. The room almost had a grey tint to it as the gloom hung heavily in the air. Alya and Nino spoke in low tones, but Adrien didn’t care to try and listen to their conversation. The seat next to Alya was empty. Adrien wasn’t surprised.

If anyone were to be affected by the events from last week, it would be Marinette. She was at the brunt of it all, just like him. The people of Paris only had to deal with the loss, but Marinette also had to deal with the guilt.

Adrien sat down at his seat and stared at the board. He could feel the stares of his classmates, even Ms. Bustier cast sorrowful glances over at his desk, but he ignored them. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

The akuma attack had come unexpectedly in the middle of the night. He was tired, he was disoriented, and Ladybug was the same. If they’d been at their best, things never would have turned out the way they did.

The akuma was surprisingly charming, but incredibly manipulative. He used their morality against them, letting them think they were talking him down before going in for the blow. He was vicious, he was violent. They were weary, they were lagging.

When Ladybug got hit, Chat didn’t think twice; he ran straight for her. She was crumpled up, holding her side. He knew it wasn’t a serious injury, probably just a bruise, but he dropped everything to go check on her. He wasn’t thinking straight. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn’t have forgotten about the akuma like he did. He didn’t notice where the akuma’s attention had shifted to until it was too late.

For the first time, the Miraculous Cure couldn’t fix the damage.

For the first time, there was a casualty.

Paris woke up the next morning completely oblivious of the previous night’s tragedy, but it didn’t take long for word to spread. Overnight, the true danger of the akuma attacks was proven. The death had a profound impact on the people of Paris. Nobody had ever thought it possible for anyone to actually _die_ ; Ladybug and Chat Noir would always be there to protect them. Ladybug and Chat Noir would fix everything, just like they always do…

Nobody blamed Ladybug, nobody but herself. She was so wrapped up in her guilt that she didn’t care in the slightest that her identity had been revealed. Both of theirs had. After the death, their transformations ran out, but they both remained on the street together. Adrien found himself watching from afar, transfixed as Marinette clutched the lifeless body of the poor boy. 

Hawkmoth had released the akuma immediately afterwards, leaving a scarred civilian with the blood of a fellow Parisian on his hands. If anyone had blood on their hands, it was Hawkmoth, but the man hadn’t been heard from since.

The funeral was surreal. All of Paris was there. He stood next to her as they lowered the body into the ground, the body of the only person who couldn’t be protected. He felt like he shouldn’t have been there. It was wrong to be there, but he didn’t leave.

He knew it was his fault. He knew. He blamed himself every second of every day, but what hurt more was seeing his lady do the same. She did nothing wrong, yet she would now have this constant weight to carry around for the rest of her life. Her face was blank and emotionless as she stared down at the casket, but he knew on the inside she was crumbling.

Ladybug disappeared after that. Nobody saw her swinging through Paris anymore. Nobody saw her sitting on the edge of a roof, smiling as she chatted freely with her partner. Adrien was positive she hadn’t transformed since the funeral, and he understood why. Her job as Ladybug was to protect the people of Paris, and she’d failed.

Marinette trudged into the classroom, and every head turned to her. She paid them no mind as she raised her eyes to stare over at his seat. She stared long enough for him to truly take in the red-rimmed eyes and the purple bags, the messy hair and disheveled clothes, the pain etched deep in those bluebell eyes. 

No amount of empathetic expressions or reassuring smiles would fix her, so he gave neither. He held her gaze, trying to communicate every word he wanted to say, every word she needed to hear. Her eyes lingered a few moments longer before she made her way to her seat, saying nothing. Marinette lowered herself onto the chair, staring blankly at the desk. Alya and Nino exchanged a meaningful look.

Ms. Bustier quietly cleared her throat and spoke gently. “Alright class, let’s get started.” They tried acting like everything was normal, carrying on with the class period as usual, but everyone, including Ms. Bustier, was distracted. She gave up teaching halfway through and gave them study hall for the rest of the hour.

Alya and Nino sent worried glances in Marinette’s direction while continuing to whisper to each other. Occasionally, they would look over at him with sorrowful eyes. Adrien kept his gaze downcast. Marinette did the same.

* * *

Adrien stood with Alya and Nino as they watched Marinette make her way back to the bakery. She’d been silent the entire day. She’d been silent since that night.

“Should we… try and talk to her?” Alya said softly.

Nino gave a small sigh. “It’s worth a shot. She shouldn’t be alone right now.” 

They walked across the street and entered the side door leading up to the Dupain-Cheng residence above the bakery. Sabine answered the door. She gave them a sad smile. “She’s up in her room. Go on ahead.”

They found Marinette sitting at her desk, staring blankly at the empty space before her. Alya took a deep breath and slowly approached her.

“Hey, girl.” She greeted, though it was missing its usual cheery tone.

Marinette didn’t look up. Alya shot an uncertain look back over her shoulder. Nino gave her an encouraging nod. She placed a gentle hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

“Marinette… I... just know we’re here for you. If you ever need to talk..” Marinette still didn’t respond. Alya opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment before finally saying what she really came here to say. “This wasn’t your fault.”

Marinette looked up at Alya. Her expression was unreadable. She slowly inhaled, then exhaled. Adrien recognized it as her trying to compose herself. 

“I know.” she spoke hoarsely. Alya didn’t look convinced. Marinette continued. “Thank you, for coming. This means a lot to me. It’s just... I just need… time.” She offered a forced smile.

Alya nodded. She rubbed Marinette’s back in a soothing gesture before pulling away. “Call us if you need anything, okay? We’ll come right away.”

“Thanks, guys. Really.” Marinette continued to smile that fake smile up until Alya and Nino disappeared through the trapdoor. Adrien moved to sit on the chaise. He watched as her expression crumbled, as the tears that threatened to come out all day finally surfaced. She shut her eyes tight, taking deep breaths.

“You don’t have to be okay right now.” He spoke quietly.

She continued trying to compose herself, opening her eyes and staring up at the ceiling, her bed, the walls, anywhere but at him. Tikki flew over and nuzzled her cheek, saying nothing. Marinette finally allowed herself to glance over at the newspaper on her desk, depicting a picture of the funeral. A tear finally escaped.

“It’s all my fault.” she whispered. “If I hadn’t been so reckless… If I had been focused…” Her sentences were cut off as she fought to hold in the sobs rising in her throat. She squeezed her eyes closed again.

Adrien stood, walking over to kneel in front of her. His expression was soft as he stared up into her eyes. “There was nothing you could’ve done.” he said softly but steadily, making sure every word was as clear as possible. _If anything, it was my fault._

A sob finally escaped her, and she buried her hands in her face. She cried for a minute, an hour, maybe two hours; Adrien didn’t know. All he knew was that his lady was hurting, and he’d stay right by her side to help her through the pain.

* * *

Marinette stood in the flower shop, biting her lip as she contemplated which flower bouquet to buy. The florist was aware that Ladybug herself was standing before her, and she knew exactly who these flowers were for, but she didn’t mention it. Adrien stood behind Marinette patiently. He had subconsciously already decided which one he liked best ‒a bouquet of red and yellow roses‒ but it was her choice.

She ended up choosing the one he liked. The florist gave her a sympathetic look as she handed the bouquet over. Marinette uttered a small thank you before leaving the shop, Adrien following close behind.

Marinette seemed detached as they silently walked to the cemetery. Adrien couldn’t blame her. The last time she was near the grave she was surrounded by people, surrounded by watchful eyes. She had to keep herself together then, she couldn’t break down. She hadn’t yet been alone there where she could speak freely, say what she so desperately needed to say.

He stayed close to her side as they approached the large marble gravestone. There were hundreds of flowers already piled around it, but Marinette didn’t pay them any mind. She bent down and placed the bouquet among the others before straightening up. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, again trying to compose herself. Seeing the name engraved in the marble made it seem even more real. More permanent.

Her breath started shaking as she searched for the words to say. She remained silent for several moments. “Hey, Kitty.”

He turned towards her. “Yes, M’Lady?”

Her face twisted up as her lips began trembling. Her eyes roamed over the marble, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to get the words out. 

“I-I miss you.”

She let out a quiet sob, the tears spilling over her cheeks. He watched her for a moment, tears pricking his eyes, before moving to stand in front of her. He searched her face, taking in every feature and committing it to memory. She was so beautiful, and his heart ached as his lady broke down in front of him. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, touch her, let her know he was there.

He gazed at her longingly. 

“I miss you, too, Marinette." he whispered. "More than you’ll ever know.”

She didn’t look up. She continued to stare right through him, right at the words engraved in the marble:

_In Loving Memory of_

_Adrien Agreste_

_Chat Noir_

_A Friend, a Hero._


End file.
